Judge of the Lamp

Chapter 119 Nizi, Don't Cry

"What are you talking about, you killed your own mother!" Zhong Shen stared at Wu Ziqing with rounded eyes.

Standing in the cage, Wu Ziqing shook his head again and again and said, "There is a reason for this. It was my mother who wanted to kill me first, and I hurt her by mistake."

Zhong Shen turned around and pulled up a chair, and sat in front of the cage: "Don't worry, just speak slowly!"

"Today, I came home, ahem, my mother let me drink, ahem..." Wu Ziqing had a dry mouth and kept coughing while speaking.

Zhong Shen ordered: "Hurry up, get some water for Yushi Wu!"

Wu Xu also pulled up a chair and sat down: "Don't just drink it, let's drink some too!"

Zhong Shen nodded and said, "Drink, drink, hurry up and make tea!"

Wu Xu shook his head and said, "What's the point of drinking tea? I have good plum wine."

Zhong Shen nodded and said: "Cook it, cook it quickly!"

Qiao Shungang said: "Just now, I went on a night watch and bought some pastries and sunflower seeds!"

Wu Xu said: "Bring it!"

Zhong Shen shouted: "I have mutton in the main hall. It's in the back kitchen. Bring it all! Share it with the brothers!"

Everyone ate mutton and pastries, ate melon seeds, drank plum wine, and listened to Wu Ziqing's story.

What is it like!
Is this the hearing of the case, or the hearing of the book?
This is the prison of the Yamen in charge of the lamp. Do you take this as a hook?

Xu Zhiqiong was so angry that he ate two catties of mutton!

They are so outrageous!
But it's no wonder they, the filial sons in the capital, killing their mothers in the street, is really an anecdote in the world.

Hearing the tension, Zhong Shen opened his mouth and stared, the wine in his mouth leaked everywhere.

Even if I went to Qiaotouwa City to find the best storyteller, I couldn't tell such a wonderful drama.

Wu Ziqing wanted to defend himself, but he had no choice but to kill in desperation.

But such a defense was meaningless, and everyone took it as an anecdote.

Hearing about Choushi from Zishi, Zhong Shen was satisfied and left the prison.

"I didn't expect that even if you can't pull him down, he would fall by himself." Zhong Shen laughed and said, "Zhiqiong, you have merit, and your yamen has merit, I have to reward you!"

Jiang Feili was not happy to be around: "It's not their fault, it's obviously his luck that he bumped into it."

Zhong Shen snorted and said, "You ran into it too? I also gave you the errand. You said you didn't care about it. You hurt a Yu Chilan. Look at your slapstick! Is Zhiqiong not injured? Wu Wu Doesn’t Qianhu feel distressed? But the Yamen in charge of the lamp is not hypocritical, and he is dead! You should be rewarded!”

Jiang Feili was angrily silent, Xu Zhiqiong said to Wu Xu: "Qianhu, I want to check Wu Ziqing's mansion to see if there is any evidence of corruption."

He wanted to look up the "Etiquette", but he couldn't explain it clearly.

Before Wu Xu could speak, Zhong Shen said: "Why are you still investigating him? Killing his mother in the street is a punishment anyway. Adding another crime, he can't let him die again."

Wu Xu said: "What the commander said is that there is no need to investigate further."

Xu Zhiqiong said: "Wu Ziqing is known as Yushitai's most honest official, if he can find out evidence of Wu Ziqing's corruption and perversion of the law, it will save Yushitai from entanglement in the future."

That's right, the first honest officials are all corrupt officials, what arrogance does Yushitai have?

But Wu Xu still shook his head: "It's fine to kill him, there is no need to turn against Yu Shitai."

Zhong Shen widened his eyes and said, "Why don't you need it? Yushitai didn't pay attention to my Imperial City Secretary, so I will kill Yushitai's prestige, and I will leave this matter to your yamen. If you show evidence, I will reward you!"

Xu Zhiqiong got the order, but Wu Xu remained silent.

Xu Zhiqiong slept in the small house that night, and came to the Wu Mansion early the next day.

The bloodstains in front of the Wu Mansion's gate hadn't been washed yet, so Xu Zhiqiong led a few white lamp men directly into the gate.

Only Mrs. Huang was left to make decisions in the family. When she saw a group of lantern-handlers, Mrs. Huang wanted to kneel, so Xu Zhiqiong shouted, "Don't kneel!"

Mrs. Huang was usually scared of being beaten, and she didn't have the magnanimity of a seventh-rank lady. Xu Zhiqiong said she was not allowed to kneel. She bent her knees, neither kneeling nor standing.

"Call everyone in your family to the yard."

"Master, we didn't break the law." Huang wanted to kneel again.

Xu Zhiqiong frowned and said, "Who said you broke the law? This is the rule, understand?"

Before the official search, irrelevant personnel must be cleared out to prevent hiding, entrainment, and obstruction.

Mrs. Huang gathered everyone in one place, Xu Zhiqiong took a look and asked, "Is everyone here?"

He didn't see the little girl.

Mrs. Huang didn't dare to answer, Xu Zhiqiong shouted: "If one is missing, your heads will be chopped off!"

Huang shivered, and quickly asked the maid to release Miaoying from the firewood room.

I was really afraid of being beaten. Wu Ziqing was put in prison, but Huang didn't dare to release her daughter.

Miaoying's head was covered with dust, and her face was stained with mud.

She was a little afraid of light, and she didn't dare to look at people. She folded her hands in her sleeves, didn't cry, and didn't show any expression.

Xu Zhiqiong frowned and said, "What's your name?"

Miaoying was silent, and Huang replied from the side: "It's my little girl, named Miaoying."

Xu Zhiqiong asked again: "How old are you this year?"

Miaoying still didn't answer, her face was expressionless and her eyes were dull.

not good.

After being tortured for so many days, the child has mental problems.

Cry ah, a cry is also good.

Her sleeves were moving, and something was hidden inside.

what?
Not a knife?
There is black air on her head, and her heart is full of resentment. This girl is really going crazy.

What if she goes mad and kills people?
Chu He also saw the abnormality, and shouted angrily: "I asked you a question, why didn't you answer?"

The roar of the tiger scared everyone, and many servants knelt down on the spot.

Huang hugged Miaoying and said, "Denglang, my girl is eight years old, she, she doesn't like to talk."

"Did I ask you?" Chu He shouted again, "Is she dumb?"

Mrs. Huang didn't dare to make a sound, the little girl lowered her head and moved her sleeves again.

Chu He stepped forward and said, "What's hiding in the sleeve? Take it out for me!"

Miaoying took two steps back, looked at Chu He expressionlessly, her hands were still tightly clasped together.

Chu He gritted his teeth and said, "Why are you staring at me?"

Protecting her daughter, Huang said: "Denglang, my daughter is not sensible, she is a bit naughty, Denglang, I beg you..."

Chu He couldn't say anything, went up and pulled Miaoying's arm.

Miaoying avoided Chu He and kicked Chu He!
Chu He didn't intend to be serious at first, but now he was irritated: "What do you want to do, girl?"

He reached out to hold Miaoying down, but Xu Zhiqiong shouted, "Stop!"

Chu He stepped aside, Xu Zhiqiong stepped forward and said, "Release it quickly, don't suffocate it."

Xu Zhiqiong knew what was hidden in her sleeve.

Miaoying stared at Xu Zhiqiong, still expressionless.

Xu Zhiqiong knelt down and said with a grim expression, "If you don't let it out, you'll be suffocated to death!"

Miaoying pulled her hand out of her sleeve, and there was a mouse inside.

The mouse's tail was caught in the mouse trap and could not break free.

Miaoying has little strength and can't break the mousetrap.

She just held the mousetrap in her left hand and the mouse in her right hand, keeping them hidden in her sleeves.

Chu He covered his nose and said, "This girl is so salty!"

"Why are you playing with this thing? Throw it away!" Huang went to snatch the mouse, but Miaoying refused to give it to her and held on to the mouse.

Xu Zhiqiong smiled and said, "What are you afraid of, kid? Just play if you like, and show me."

Miaoying still didn't give it.

Xu Zhiqiong said, "I'll let it out for you."

The two pairs of dark eyes looked at each other for a moment, Miaoying slowly stretched out her hand, and handed the mousetrap to Xu Zhiqiong, but still held the mouse in her palm.

Xu Zhiqiong broke the mousetrap, the mouse was free, and ran towards the base of the wall.

Squeak!

The mouse squeaked.

Xu Zhiqiong turned sideways, looked at the mouse, and murmured, "Live, live well."

Miaoying looked at Xu Zhiqiong, blinked her eyes, tears flashed in her eyes.

She seems to have heard this.

Xu Zhiqiong still looked at the fleeing mouse until the mouse disappeared, and Xu Zhiqiong rubbed his cheeks with his hands.

He rubbed it several times, then shook his head again.

Miaoying rushed towards Xu Zhiqiong fiercely, causing Chu He to tremble in fright: "What are you going to do?"

The little girl hugged Xu Zhiqiong's leg.

Hold tight.

She cried, but she didn't cry out, the tears kept falling.

Mrs. Huang came up to tease her daughter: "What are you doing to die? Come back soon!"

Xu Zhiqiong waved his hands and said, "Forget it, forget it, I think this girl must be hungry."

He took out a lotus leaf bag from his pocket and stuffed it to Miaoying.

There are steamed buns wrapped in lotus leaves. Xu Zhiqiong bought them on the way for her, and they were still steaming.

The little girl took the steamed bun, still hugging Xu Zhiqiong's leg.

She cried without making a sound, wiping away her tears with her sleeve, still hugging Xu Zhiqiong's leg.

Tears smeared on the dusty face, it was black.

The black air on the head dissipated.

……

Xu Zhiqiong ordered his subordinate Bai Denglang to search carefully. He stayed in the yard and asked Huang a few words alone.

"Does Wu Ziqing usually like to read?"

"I like it, I have to read every day."

"What's his favorite book to read?"

Huang thought for a long time: "I usually like to read "Rituals" the most."

""Ritual Training"? Isn't that what children read?" Xu Zhiqiong pretended to be surprised, "Do you know where that book is?"

"It's all in the study."

"You follow me to get it."

Huang took Xu Zhiqiong to the study, but couldn't find it after searching for a long time.

She took Xu Zhiqiong to the bedroom again, ransacked the box, even searched for the hidden compartment under the bed, but couldn't find it.

Huang was so frightened that his face was covered with sweat: "Master Deng Lang, I really don't know where he put the "Ritual Training"."

Xu Zhiqiong sighed and said, "Forget it, let's go back to the yard."

When they arrived at the courtyard, Chu He came over and whispered to Xu Zhiqiong, "There is a hidden compartment in the wall of the east wing."

Xu Zhiqiong followed Chu He to the East Wing, and broke open the secret door on the wall. In the secret compartment, there were yellow and white objects.

Bai Denglang counted on the spot, and in the dark compartment, there were a total of [-] taels of gold, [-] taels of silver, and more than [-] taels of copper coins.

Gold and silver were all converted at the official price of one to four, a total of [-] guan, which was converted into the currency of Xu Zhiqiong's previous life, which was about [-] million.

An old Denglang told Xu Zhiqiong that among the seventh-rank officials, this was considered average.

What a generation of honest officials, what a reputation.

Xu Zhiqiong was not surprised by this. This person worked for the sixth princess, but asked the sixth princess what to buy people's hearts?

He dared to extend his hand to the sixth princess, and he would never be polite to others, but he did it in a more subtle way.

Seeing the real gold and silver being moved into the yard, Huang's body softened and fell to the ground.

The master and servants were even more surprised, they couldn't even see any meat when eating, how could they have imagined that the master's family background is so deep.

Actually, Mrs. Huang needn't be afraid. Proclaiming the law is different from the previous dynasty. As long as it is not a felony of treason, the family members will not be implicated, of course, except for the conspiracy of husband and wife.

Judging from Huang's status in the family, it is clear that she is not qualified to conspire.

Mrs. Huang really didn't know, not even when the old lady was alive.

All she knew was that no one was allowed to enter the east wing of the front yard except Wu Ziqing.

Wu Ziqing is stingy and lives a poor life. What is he going to do with the money he scavenged?
Could it be related to the nufu sect?
The purpose of Xu Zhiqiong's trip was to find the "Etiquette", but unfortunately he couldn't find it this time.

Where the hell did he hide that book?
Xu Zhiqiong ordered Bai Denglang to seal the Wu Mansion, and took everyone back to the Yamen for questioning.The servants didn't know about it, so they were released on the same day. Huang and her two daughters asked for a day, but they didn't find any clues, so they were released the next day.

In fact, there was nothing to ask at first, killing Wu Ziqing and suppressing Yushitai, this is the result Zhong Shen wanted.

Poor Mrs. Huang, a seventh-rank lady, couldn't get out ten copper coins on her body. Wu's mansion was sealed up, and their mother and daughter had no place to live. They planned to squat under the bridge for a night.

Can you make money by squatting overnight?Are you still waiting to beg for food?

Xu Zhiqiong borrowed five taels of silver from their mother and daughter, and let them live temporarily in Tong Qingqiu's house.

……

Xu Zhiqiong was not reconciled to not finding etiquette, so he went directly to the prison to find Wu Ziqing for questioning.

After being interrogated for two days, Wu Ziqing looked away: "Why should I tell you? I will die anyway. What good does it do me?"

Xu Zhiqiong said: "If you don't tell me, I will find it sooner or later. It's in your house anyway. If you tell me, at least these days will be easier."

Wu Ziqing sneered and said, "What can you do to me? Use torture?"

It's really not easy for Xu Zhiqiong to torture him.

All the charges have been confirmed, what is the purpose of using punishment at this time?If someone asks, how to explain it?
I want to ask him for a book called "Etiquette".

"Etiquette" is everywhere, why do you want this?
This "Etiquette" is not ordinary, there is a record of Nufu Sect in the book!

How did you know?
If Wu Xu asks, it's okay to say, there is no need to hide from each other.

What if Zhong Shen asked?
Xu Zhiqiong couldn't explain clearly again.

But it doesn't matter, there is no need to torture him, there are other ways to torture him.

"How many days have you been starving your daughter?"

Wu Ziqing said with a straight expression: "My daughter knows filial piety very well. As her grandmother, she is willing to go on a hunger strike!"

When it comes to this point, you're still so shameless!

Xu Zhiqiong nodded: "You can learn filial piety from your daughter. From today onwards, I will help you go on a hunger strike!"

Xu Zhiqiong ordered the jailer not to give him food, Wu Ziqing gritted his teeth and said, "It's good to starve to death, so as not to be humiliated in the execution ground. How can Wu, who has a strong body, bow his head to you and other young people!"

Good backbone!
Wu Ziqing boasted that he was made of iron, but his stomach was not made of iron. After a day of hunger, he recruited.

"In the bedroom, under the book case, there is another hidden compartment, and the "Ritual Training" is hidden in the hidden compartment."

"There is a page in the "Etiquette", which says that husbands have no anger, and families have no rules. What is this?"

"It's the Nufu Canon."

"Are you a member of Nufu Sect?"

"I'm an inner disciple."

"Is there still an inside and outside door?"

Wu Ziqing nodded: "Once you get the canon, you are an inner disciple. I only have one page, and I bought it for eight thousand."

Xu Zhiqiong exclaimed: "Just buy one page for eight thousand?"

"This is still acquaintances helping each other, otherwise a thousand gold is hard to change."

What canon is so valuable?

Xu Zhiqiong asked again: "Apart from that page of canon, is the rest all "Rituals"?"

Wu Ziqing shook his head and said, "There is also an account book inside. I collected the money and recorded it in the account book."

"Okay, okay, okay!" Xu Zhiqiong smiled, "Eat something first, and when I get the book back, let's talk slowly!"

Xu Zhiqiong wanted to go to the Wu Mansion right away, but Zhong Shen threw a banquet to celebrate the success of the Lantern Yamen.

Xu Zhiqiong went to Mingdengxuan to ask for leave, but Wu Xu refused: "You are the guest of honor tonight, if you don't go, won't you lose face of the commander?"

Xu Zhiqiong simply told the truth to Ali: "Qianhu, I interrogated Wu Ziqing, and I found out the truth. He has an account book in his family, which can identify the bribers one by one!"

"I see," Wu Xu nodded and said, "I can't go."

"You can't go here?"

Wu Xu frowned and said, "If I say I can't go, then I can't!"

Xu Zhiqiong said: "Qianhu, there is still a page of the Nufu Cult's canon in the account book, which was bought by Wu Ziqing for [-] yuan!"

"And this rare thing?" Wu Xu smiled: "Then you can't go there!"

Xu Zhiqiong was puzzled: "How do you say that?"

"Stupid boy, why are you so stupid, but you are as stupid as you were back then," Wu Xu looked at Xu Zhiqiong, "If I'm not in the yamen, who will protect you in the future?"

……

In Yuyao Palace, the Sixth Princess Liang Yuyao's face was ashen.

Emperor Zhaoxing had just decreed that Wu Ziqing would be executed two days later.

This person can't be brought back, and something will be exposed.

She called Han Di and asked, "How is Tao Huayuan's injury?"

"Go back to Your Highness, I still can't get out of bed."

"Tonight, you go out of the palace, set a fire, and burn down the Wu Mansion."

(End of this chapter)